Proud Wife Moment

This is me having one of many proud wife moments!! Tuesday, Devin got sworn into the Tuscaloosa Police Department, which means he as a BADGE!!! :) Gun to follow, but still had to get out the camera as soon as he came home. He looks so official!

Bad guys beware! Officer Kerstetter coming soon!
He will be starting the State's Academy next month and after that, its really official!
Had to brag,
Emily

We Have Moved!!!!

We officially moved into an apartment complex closer into town. We are still in the Tuscaloosa/Northport area though. In our new two bedroom one bath, we feel like we are living in a mansion! We have been here a week and have saved so much on gas too. We are loving it here! Being in our new apartment also means we have our little ball of teeth.. i mean fur... with us. He is so smart! It's a blessing and a curse at this point lol. I will post a few pictures on here of our new place empty and good before shots. Hopefully sooner than later I will be proud to post after more homey shots.... but that means unpacking boxes first. :(

The door you see in this picture is our front door. Then the person is standing in the living area and looking into the dining area.

 

 Kitchen! Directly to the right out of frame is another door that leads into the hallway. Please note: THE DISHWASHER!!!!!!! And full size oven. :) I'm not happy or anything...

Our HALLWAY! Crazy! Little door on the left is furnace. Then the next is the guest bedroom/storage room right now. Then last door on the left is our bedroom. Last door on the right is the bathroom. Second is water heater. Then first door with a knob on the right is our hall closet. Open door on the right is the kitchen.

Bedroom! Window faces the east so its always SUPER bright in the mornings when the sun comes up.

Trigger just chillin while Daddy plays MW3. Typical night in the Kerstetter Kasa. :) I love my boys!

 Till next time!! Hopefully I'll have more exciting pictures up, or news. As for right now though, its just surviving the unpacking process!

Love Always,
The Kerstetters

Changes Keep On Comin'

As the Holidays approach Devin and I have decided to take on the adventure of moving! We are staying in Tuscaloosa/Northport, however have chosen to move more into town and to a place with a little more room. It was important to us to have a place with two bedrooms for when friends and family come to visit. We are SO excited!! Northbrook Apartments. And the best part is... We get to have Trigger for GOOD!!!!! We've felt so bad that he had to stay at a friend's house, which is part of the reason we wanted to move ASAP. Our cute little barn was perfect for those first few months, but we miss our little puppy. Who by the way, is NOT so little anymore! Just look at him!

We bring him to the vet in 2 weeks and I can't wait to hear his weight! The next few posts may be of my frustrations of training a puppy! Hahaha He is proving to be quite the persistent little man, and not always in a good way. Gotta love teething! Oooo but I love him so much! We are so excited to have him!
Work is going well for us both. Devin got his uniform yesterday and looks so studly!! ...I mean... professional. :) It's so fun to hear all his stories of training and cleaning. His boots are all shined and ready for wearing, and I can't wait till he comes home with a gun and a badge! That wont come till much later I'm sure though; probably sometime after January. WHBM is also going well. For anyone who shops there consistently, [Warning: Shameless Plug Coming] call ahead and make an appointment with your favorite associate. It will make them VERY happy!! You can call and say this is what I'm looking for, and they will have it ready for you when you come in to try on. (If you're in Tuscaloosa, you can totally ask for me! But there are two Emily's so ask for Emily K) Just makes work more fun if we have people to look forward to. Okay, plug over lol. The youth job is going great! Public speaking will be no problem for me by the end of this next semester. I'm really enjoying it, and getting to hear feedback from the kids. It also is a great personal learning experience when it comes to boundaries and maturity. (Realizing my own most of the time!) Humbling to say the least when you realize how many eyes are on you and following by example.
Got our wedding pictures!!! They were done by the amazing Samantha Jensen, and they look so good! Look on facebook for my favorite ones, and on her website is some of her previous work.
As for continuing changes, the next one is a new phone. Only has taken me 4 years...

Welp, its been almost two full weeks at our new jobs.
Devin is pretty much in cop school right now till January, and is a Recruit, not to be confused with officer (That is what they are telling them right now). Tomorrow he gets sprayed with Pepper Spray!! YIKES! I guess its so they know what to expect if it ever gets turned around on them. Either way its going to be an awful night for him!
I am loving being with the Youth Group! It always takes me a while to settle into a new job, but I love people so this is making it much easier. Actually gave the message tonight, and it went well. I was SUPER nervous but everyone listened and didn't Boo me off, so that was a good thing! White House Black Market is going well too, its just getting used to the double part time jobs that is taking some getting used to.
Its definitely Fall now! People keep saying that I should be used to this weather and it should still feel warm... Yeah Right! I didn't like the cold weather up North so why would I suddenly be okay with it down here?! Brrrrrrr!!! Going from 80's to 60's is no fun. Trees are starting to turn so that is pretty, especially to and from the barn.
Trigger is now with our friend Lindsay and we are enjoying every play time we get with him!! Good to know he's now temporarily with someone who will love on him and not just keep him outside!
Cute Trigger pictures from this week:

 Sleepin with Momma

 And driving with Daddy! Look at how he's just looking up at Devin! TOO Cute!!!!

Till next time,
Emily

I promised pictures, so here they are! Just a few from our apartment.

 Please note the mini oven! It works great, but we just get to use cute little cookie sheets.

 You can see the shower through that door. That is our bathroom.

 Bed set. This is one of the few times its completely made.

View of the side of downstairs. There is an upstairs also, which is our living and bedroom area, however there's no good angle to get a picture of it. It is lofted so it's open from the kitchen area.

Then last, but certainly not least! As of this weekend, this is our newest addition to our family. My first dog! We named him Trigger. He is 1/2 silver lab, 3/8 pitbull, and 1/8 chow. Got him after seeing a sign go up in our neighborhood. Be prepared for more pictures of him as he gets older :)

Little job update, Devin started his TPD job today. Looks like he'll be in "school" for a while, just listening to lectures and learning in office. But good news is that we will have wonderful insurance!! Biggest blessing that he could start this job so soon! More updates as time goes on.

Love Always, Emily

Well hopefully as time goes on, my ability to do more cool things on this blog will improve. Our hope is that this can be a more personal, and detailed update on our lives throughout the next few years.
Devin and I have been married for just over two months now! Woo hoo, in so many ways it has flown by, yet so much has happened it feels like it should be a longer time period than just two months. Having my best friend as a roommate has been awesome! We're learning everyday, and just trying to have fun as much as we can as newlyweds.
We're settled in to our first little humble home. It is a barn...literally! Some friends from the church down here offered for us to rent from them. They have a cute little split studio apartment on their property, which also happens to house our housemates, George and Bell Star. Two beautiful horses :) Also not too far from our back door is a chicken coup. We are about 15 minutes from "town". It has been so fun for me to see all the cool bugs, no matter how gross or scary! Also the hills are curves are more fun to drive on that just flat straight ones. Devin is finally back home, and I am learning my new home. I don't need my GPS as much, although Tomtom has been worthless the last three times i tried using it. I'm LOVING the warmer weather!!! Also I'm diving in head first into the Crimson Tide! :) Been to two games so far and experienced my first tailgating adventures. So fun!
Jobs, it seems to be the question everyone asks after you graduate college. As of this month we are proud to say that we will finally have consistent pay checks!!! Retail is great... but not so great at making ends meet. Devin officially starts with TPD (Tuscaloosa Police Department) on Oct 10th!! This was his first choice as a job down here, and we couldn't be happier!! Full time and benefits for our little family :) Also while keeping my job at the new White House | Black Market in Tuscaloosa, I will be working part time as the Assistant Youth Pastor to Wes Pate. I'll have more emphasis on the girl ministries, but helping him with planning and other activities. Praise God for answered prayers and employment! That was a concern for me moving down to Tuscaloosa, however I've had nothing but opportunities since I've gotten here, and I cannot give anyone credit but God for that! Devin will just be learning the ins and outs of the office for a few weeks before going to the Academy around January. Then after completing that training, he will be in a squad car with a partner for 6 months, then he's on his own! He could not be more excited!
We want to thank all of you who have been keeping us in your prayers these past few months. It is really appreciated!! For all my freshly graduated friends, or those who are about to be in a similar situation to us, be confident that God will provide as long as you lean on Him and search for His will. Not always easy... I hate trusting situations that I can't contribute to the outcome, but God knows what He's doing.
I'll post some pictures later of our new place :) Currently using Devin's phone for internet.
Love Always,
Emily Kerstetter